Support for mines and the like



J. R. B. NEILSON ETF AL SUPPORT FOR MINES AND THE LIKE Apr@ 7,` 1936.

Filed sept. 1, 1954V I er www Figz.

j underground roadway settle down after they road- Thus, the roadway to be cut is much more nearly Patented Apr. 7, 193e n Y 2,035,490

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE y SUPPORT FOR MINES AND THE LIKE John Ronald Beaumont Neilson, Birmingham,

and William Arthur Willis, Rotherham, England, assignors to Stewarts & Lloyds Limited, Glasgow, Scotland Application September 1, 1934, Serial No. 742,462 In Great Britain May 29, 1934 12 Claims. (Cl. 61-45) 'I'his invention relates to a support for the load; i. e. to have a determinate lengthwise-conroofs of coal mines and other underground roadtraction-resisting strength. ways and workings. The roof-bearing beam may be of camber form It is often found that the strata above an and may rest at its ends in seats on the strut tops.`r

way has been cut, the settlement involving a rectangular in cross-sectional shape than is the downward movement of the roof. Desirably, the case with arched roadways, so that a greater roof supports should adjust themselves to aceffective cross-sectional area can be obtained, and commodate said downward movement. this with less cutting. Further, the cross-beam, l0 An object of this invention is to provide an has no joints between its ends, so that its strength 10 improved roof support having provision for the is unimpaired; whereas, arch-girders for arched desired self-adjustment. roadways are made in halves jointed together,

Another object of the invention is to provide such arch-girders each consisting of a semi-ciran improved support comprising or including a cular upper portion, midway of which the joint` strut consisting of telescopically related upper is located, and short straight end portions which 15 and lower tubes. in certain constructions are iitted with adjustable Another object is to provide one of a pair of stilts. telescopically related tubes composing a strut The invention will now be described, by way with projections serving normally to support the of example, with reference to the accompanying V"2O other tube and thereby prevent lengthwise condrawing, in whichz- '20 traction of the strut and acting to form longi- Fig. 1 is a section of an underground roadway tudinal grooves or ilutings (hereinafter termed and shows a support including struts according grooves) in the other tube if the strut is forced to the invention. to contract in length. f Fig. 2 is a sectional view to a larger scale of A Another object is to provide the lengthwisethe connection between one end of the roof-bear- 25 contraction-preventing projections as formations ing beam and the adjacent side strut.

on the outer of two telescopically related tubes Fig. 3 is a section on the line III-III of Fig. 2. composing a strut, said formations being located Fig. 4 is a section, also to a larger scale, on the in the interior of the outer tube so as to engage line IV-IV in Fig. l and shows one construction '30 with the inner tube and to form grooves therein of the means for preventing lengthwise contrac- 30 when lengthwise contraction of the strut occurs. tion of a telescopic side strut.

The roof support may consist of a cross roof- Fig. 5 is a section on the line V-V of Fig. 4. bearing beam and side struts connected to the Fig. Gis aview corresponding toFig. 5but showbeam ends, each of said struts consisting of teleing a modication.

scopically related tubes provided with projec- Referring to Fig. 1,the roof of the underground 35 tions, as aforesaid. If and when the strata above roadway is denoted by A, the faces or walls by ,the roadway settle down to such an extent as to B, C, and the floor by D. The cross roof-bearing kimpose an unduly heavy load upon the cross beam, beam is denoted by 20, and each of two telescopic the latter presses downwards upon the struts and side struts by 2|, 22, the upper member 2l of forces them to contract lengthwise a small each strut being connected at 23 to the adjacent 40 amount, thereby relieving the load on the cross beam end, 24 denotes generally a device which beam. Any recurrence of 'excessive load will be serves to prevent telescopic collapse-that is, at once followed by a further short self-adjustlengthwise contractionof the members 2|, 22 ment of the struts; and this procedure will conconstituting each strut. Longitudinal roadway` tinue automatically until nally the strata above supporting members E are arranged between the 45 the roadway adopt a condition of equilibrium. As beam 20 and the roof A, and between the struts each support throughout the length of the road- 2l, 22 and the faces B,r C.

way adjusts itself in accordance with the load The beam 2G is of camber form to suit the shape which it sustains, the resistance of all the struts of the roof A.

i0 to the overhead strata will be substantially uni- It will be noted that the cross-sectional shape 50 form. of the roadway approximates more closely to `No adjustments need be made by the workmen rectangular shape than underground roadways cutting out the roadway and erecting the supheretofore made, these latter roadways approxiports, because the struts can be pre-set to a demating to semi-circular shape. terminate length and to withstand a determinate Each strut consists of upper and lower telescopically related tubes, the upper tube 2| being a loose sliding fit in the lower tube 22. The cambered beam 2d is an H-section girder; but if desired it also may be tubular. As shown best in Figs. 2 and 3, each beam end lits into and rests upon an angular seat 25 secured to the top of the adjacent upper tube 2l. The connection 213 consists of a removable bolt passing through the sides of the seat 25 and the web of the beam 20.

The construction of the means shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5 for preventing lengthwise contraction of each telescopic strut will now be described. As shown, the bottom end of the upper tube 2| is inwardly bevelled at 26. When the tubes are assembled, the bevelled end 26 abuts against inward projections consisting of the rounded heads of a number (say three) of circumferentially spaced rivets 2l which extend from the ring 24 through holes in the lower tube 22. The ring 24 shown consists of a clamp made in two halves bolted together at 28 so as to embrace the tube 22.

If desired, a reinforcing thrust ring might be shrunk and/or welded on the lower tube immediately below the ring 24. Further, round-ended screws or round-headed bolts might be used instead of the rivets 2l. Further, the ring 24 might be replaced by a one-piece ring split at one place and bolted tightly against the tube 22.

In the use of a support having tubular struts interconnected in the manner above described, the incidence of an excessive load upon the roofbearing beam 2i) forces the upper tube 2l of each strut downwards past the rounded projections 21, which deform the tube 2l by forming longitudinal grooves in it, and in so doing these projections strongly and uniformly resist lengthwise contraction of the strut.

The lengths of the tubes 2l, 22 and the location of the ring 24 are predetermined to suit the height of the roadway; andr the dimensions of theparts are predetermined to give a denite resistance to lengthwise contraction of the strut.

If desired, ras shown in Fig. 6, a number of rivets 3l, or round-headed bolts, might be provided directly on the outer tube 22, thereby avoiding the use of an external support such as the clamp 24 shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The setting of the telescopic struts can take place 4at some stage prior to the transport of the parts to the underground roadway; so that no adjustments need be made by the workmen cutting out the roadway and'erecting the supports. 'Ihe erection of the supports merely involves positioning thestruts and jointing each pair thereof to the respective camber beam. Thus, the supports can be easily and quickly erected; andthey can also be easily and quickly dismantled, if required.

When the roadway is completed, if the strata above the roadway should settle down-as is usual-to such an extent as to impose an unduly heavy loadv upon the supports, each cross-beam 20 presses downwards at its ends upon the tubes 2l and forces them farther into the lower tubes 22. That is to say, the struts automatically contract lengthwise, with the result that the load on Vthe cross-beam is proportionately relieved.

We claim:

1. An underground roadway support comprising a cross roof-bearing beam, side struts each comprising telescopically related upper and lower .tubes one of which is slidable within the other,

seats provided at the tops of the upper tubes and adapted to receive the endsof said beam, pivotal connections between said seats and the beam ends, internally projecting means provided in the outer tubes, and inturned end portions on the inner tubes, said projecting means being adapted to Contact with said inturned end portions and support the inner tube against sliding movement within the outer tube until the struts are subjected by said beam to an excessive load.

2. An underground roadway support comprising a cross roof-bearing beam, side struts each comprising telescopically related upper and lower tubes one of which is slidable within the other connections between the upper tubes and the beam ends, clamps embracing the outer tubes, and inner-tube supporting means provided on said clamps and projecting into the interior of the outer tubes ythrough openings therein, said supporting means abutting against the adjacent end of the inner tubes and acting to prevent lengthwise contraction of the struts until said struts are subjected by said beamA to aneXcessive load.

3. An underground roadway support `according to claim 2 wherein the inner tubes are formed with inturned ends which abut against the inwardly projecting means on the clamps.

4. For underground workings, a roof-supporting strut comprising ytelescopically related tube structures one of which is slidable within another and internally projecting formations constituting parts of the outer Ytube structure, said formations serving to support the inner tube structure and normally prevent lengthwise contraction of the strut and said formations being adapted to produce longitudinal grooves inthe inner tube structure if and when the strut is forced to contract in length.

5. For underground workings, a roof-supporting strut according to the preceding claim 4, wherein the inner tube structure therein mentioned comprises mainly a tube with an inturned end adapted to bear against the internally projecting formationsof the outer tube structure.

6. An underground roadway support comprising a cross roof-bearing beam, side struts each comprising telescopically related upper and lower tubes one of which is slidable within the other, connections between the upper tubes and the beam ends, and a plurality of projections on the internal wall of each outer tube, said projections being adapted to abut against the adjacent ends of the respective inner tubes and prevent lengthwise contraction of theV struts until said struts are subjected by said beam to an excessive load and said projections being adapted toI produce longitudinal grooves in the inner tube when such lengthwise contraction occurs.

'7. An underground roadway support comprising ay cross roof-bearing beam, side struts each comprising telescopically related upper and lower tube structures one of which is slidable within theother, connections between the upper tube structures and the beam ends, and projecting formations which are located in circumferentially spaced relationship on, and between the ends of one of said tube structures, and against which formations the other tube structures abut, said formations being adapted to prevent lengthwise contraction of the struts until said struts are subjected by said beam to an excessive load and said formationsy being adapted to form longitudinal grooves in said other tube structures if and when the struts are forced to contract lengthwise.

8. For underground workings, a roof-supporting strut comprising telescopically related tube structures and projecting formations which are A located in circumferentially spaced relationship on, and between the ends of one of said structures, said formations serving to support the related tube structure and normally prevent length- Wise contraction of the strut and said formations being adapted to produce longitudinal grooves in said related tube structure if and when the strut is forced to contract in length.

9. For underground workings, a roof-supporting strut comprising telescopically related outer and inner tube structures, the outer structure comprising a tube, a reinforcement member embracing said tube and formations on said member projecting internally through openings in the tube, and the inner structure comprising a tube slidable within the outer tube and provided with an end formed to bear against said formations, which are adapted to prevent lengthwise contraction of the strut until said strut is subjected to an excessive load and also adapted to produce longitudinal grooves in the inner tube if and when the strut is forced to contract in length.

l0. An underground roadway support comprising upright side struts, and a roadway support supported by its ends b-y said struts, said truts each embodying tubular sections one of which telescopes with the other, means within and supported by one of the sections and disposed a substantial distance from the end of the last said section to provide an abutment for the end of the other telescoped section to prevent endwise contraction of the struts under normal strain, the said means also operating when an abnormal load is exerted lengthwise upon the strut sections, to form longitudinal grooves in said other section, when the struts are forced to contract lengthwise.

11. An underground roadway support comprising upright side struts, and a roadway support supported by its ends by said struts, said strutsv each embodying tubular sections one of Which telescopes with the other, means within and supported by one of the sections and disposed a substantial distance from the end of the last said section to provide an abutment for the end of the other telescoped section to prevent endwise contraction of the struts under normal strain, the end of said other section which engages the abutment being inwardly beveled, the said means also operating when an abnormal load is exerted lengthwise upon the strut sections, to form longitudinal grooves in said other section, when the struts are forced to contract lengthwise.

l2. An underground roadway support comprising upright side struts, and a roadway support supported by its ends by said struts, said struts cach embodying tubular sections one of which telescopes with the other, means within and supported by one of the sections and disposed a substantial distance from the end of the last said section to provide an abutment for the end of the other telescoped section to prevent endwise contraction of the struts under normal strain, the

said means also operating when an abnormal load is exerted lengthwise upon the strut sections, to change the cross sectional configuration of the said other section, when the strut sections are forced to contract lengthwise.

JOHN RONALD BEAUMONT NEILSON. WILLIAM ARTHUR WILLIS. 

